Lily-Pad Trees
by Leaded-Pegasus
Summary: One-Shot: As Iroh once said to Korra, "The Spirit World is a very mysterious place, but so is love." What better wisdom could be used to describe their time together as Korra and Asami travel through the vast and diverse land of the Spirit World? Book 4 spoilers-Tread carefully, and Happy New Year!


**A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! I decided to post this now, just as a special gift. Now, I know now that Korra is over, a lot of people are writing about Korra and Asami in the Spirit World. I don't like hopping on the bandwagon when it comes to story ideas, but in my defense, this is my first time writing a fanfic outside of the Percy Jackson universe. So, this is just to see if I can fare well writing a piece involving some different characters. And, I ship Korrasami like a mad-woman, so I couldn't resist. But please, let me know if you enjoy the story, and if I can come up with some more ideas, I might just write some more Korra fanfics!  
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><p><span><strong>Lily-Pad Trees <strong>

The glowing beam of light in the center of the new ruins of Republic city loomed over the crumbling buildings, shooting up into the sky even past the point that one would be able to see. From a distance, the yellowish hue the new spirit portal had was similar to that of a spotlight, and was almost overwhelming in how much light it gave off. It was this powerful illumination that had seemingly deterred anyone from approaching it, with the exception of the spirits. And, with the exception of two figures who were slowly, but surely, walking in the direction of the portal.

Oddly enough, as the distance between them and the portal dwindled, the light grew softer. Rather than being blinding in magnitude, the glow transitioned into a lighting similar to that of a nightlight or a candle that was just beginning to die out. The golden luminescence was friendly and welcoming, and when the pair of travelers got close enough, a warm breeze that was only experienced on a perfect summer's day rustled their hair and clothes. They glanced towards one another, smiling briefly in anticipation, before continuing forward. They approached the base of the short incline that led up to the spirit portal, and as they did, gently took the other's hand in theirs...

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><p>Korra felt a rush of warmth in her face as she took Asami's hand. She held back the urge of tipping her head down in an attempt to conceal her seemingly profuse blushing. With a somewhat sheepish expression, she glanced at Asami from the corner of her eye. Across her cheeks were two obvious streaks of red as well, as she looked down at her boots with a faint grin. Korra managed to break her gaze away briefly as they found themselves only a few feet from the swirling glow of the spirit portal.<p>

Asami hesitated for a moment, breaking her handhold with Korra. She didn't move from her spot as she looked at the portal with a somewhat anxious expression. Korra faltered, looking back at her for a moment,

"Don't worry," Korra insisted eventually with a kindly grin, "It's really less intimidating than it's made out to be."

She offered her hand out to Asami, who looked at the portal again with uncertainty for a brief moment, before obliging. They clasped hands again, and walked on. Korra gave a reassuring squeeze as they finally stepped into the portal. They turned to fully face each other, their free hands linking together as well. And as the portal began to slowly dissolve and transition them into the Spirit World, Korra gazed into Asami's pale green eyes, as Asami did with Korra's aquamarine irises.

In the midst of their extremely intimate time spent as they traveled through the portal, Korra felt Asami's grip around her hands tighten, jarring her suddenly. Korra looked about, and drew in a breath when she realized that they had arrived in the Spirit World. While she had been a number of times before, the diverse and vibrant scenery never ceased to take her breath away every time. But even still, Korra could hear Asami let out a gasp even louder than Korra had.

"Korra," She whispered, "It's-"

At her lack of words, Korra couldn't help herself from smiling,

"What do you think? Is it what you expected it to be?"

"It's _everything_ that I expected it to be," Asami replied, "And then some."

Korra didn't resist her grin, which practically stretched from ear-to-ear as she glanced up at the sky,

"Well, from the looks of it, it won't be long until morning. Are you up for an early start?"

"Of course!" She answered eagerly as she continued to look about them, "I don't think I would be able to rest anyway, not when there's so much to see."

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!"

They set foot out of the expansive field they had arrived in, walking through the vibrant purple flowers that covered every inch of the ground, towards one of the countless destinations that the Spirit World had to offer.

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><p>By the time that the sun was just dipping below the horizon, Korra and Asami found themselves too exhausted to go on any farther, despite the fact that they were both more than eager to explore more. The two of them slumped against a tree, which had a trunk similar to that of a dandelion stem, with a top that was almost like a massive lily pad. It provided an umbrella of shade, and despite that it was sunset, an entire day spent under the sun had worn them out. But even still, as they sat there, catching their breath, it didn't take long for them to recant what they had seen or done that same day. They went back and forth with each other, mentioning things here and there to each other.<p>

When they were finally out of breath, they shared in a brief period of laughter. When Korra managed to catch her breath, she looked over,

"So, what's been your favorite part of the Spirit World?"

Asami thought for a while, before shaking her head slowly,

"I don't think I do have a favorite part. Every time I _think_ I have one, I remember something that's even better...What about you?"

"You mean what's my favorite part about the Spirit World? Well, I don't think that I have just one favorite place. Maybe a few close ties, though. And come to think of it..."

Korra looked around at the field of lily pad-topped trees.

"This is one of them."

Her gaze then focused above them,

"You can get a better view from the tree tops," She said, "Especially of the valley. Wanna see?"

Asami's eyes also drifted upwards, "You can, sure, but...I don't see how I'm going to get up there."

Korra grinned, rising to her feet as she took a few paces away from the trunk. She jumped, bending a sphere of air under her feet quickly as she vaulted upwards. She fell a little short of landing above the tree, and managed to grab onto the brim of the tree top and climb the rest of the way. When she made it to the top, she peeked down, as Asami looked up from the ground.

"How am I supposed to-"

Before she could finish her question, Korra had bent another sphere of air right under Asami's feet, launching her into the air. Asami yelped from the surprise, but managed to land on top of the tree, with a hand from Korra steadying her from toppling back to the ground. As she regained her bearings, she put the hand that Korra wasn't holding to her chest, letting out an airy chuckle.

"Sorry. I wasn't expecting that."

Korra smirked, "If I had told you that I was going to bend you up here, I had my doubts as to whether or not you would actually let me."

Asami sat down, a faint grin on her face, "I think a rope would've sufficed. Not to say that I don't have trust in your bending abilities, but..."

"Fair enough," Korra chuckled, "I'll keep that in mind next time."

After a moment of quiet, she reached into her bag, rummaging for the blanket that she had packed before their departure into the Spirit World. She unrolled it, before fitting it across the surface. As she did this, Asami let out a gasp as she looked at something that was behind Korra. She glanced over her shoulder, and realized she had spotted the valley. Korra rotated her body, flopping down on the blanket alongside Asami.

The river that snaked along the valley below was overwhelmingly beautiful, with the sun's rays causing the surface to perpetually glitter before it finally vanished below the horizon. Korra drew in a slow breath, taking in the magnificent view they got.

"I can see why this is one of your favorite places," Asami mumbled in awe, sighing, "It's amazing here. Every inch of it."

The clouds had taken on a slew of vibrant shades, despite the fact that the sun had disappeared, its' light was still present in the western-half of the sky. Shades and tints of oranges, reds, and pinks made for the perfect scenery. And considering it was the Spirit World, after all, it was all the more colorful. The two of them were quiet for a very long time, taking it all in. But it was Asami who broke the silence,

"I haven't gotten the chance to thank you properly yet."

Korra waved her away, "Don't worry about it, you don't have to thank me, Asami."

She looked over when she felt Asami's hand settle on hers. Korra held back a gasp at the astonishing color Asami's eyes appeared to had taken on in the little light that was left from the sun. They were still the same green that they always were, but one would almost think that there were flecks of gold in her eyes.

"I really don't think I would be able to rest unless if you let me actually thank you."

Her hand wrapped completely around Korra's before continuing,

"Thank you _so_ much, Korra."

Korra's face gained color again, and she looked away,

"Don't mention it. It's no big deal, you know. I was more than happy taking you."

"I know, but-" Asami faltered, "It may not seem like it, but this trip has already done so much for me. Good things, too. I was able to take my mind off what happened to my dad for the first time in days, and..."

She let out a shaky breath of air,

"I don't think anyone or anything else besides you and the Spirit World would've been able to do that. I understand it if you're trying to be modest, but just once, just this time, I wish that you would acknowledge that you've done something greatly appreciated."

Korra crossed her arms across the top of her knees, which she had drawn to her chest as Asami finished speaking.

"I appreciate you thanking me, Asami," She said, "I really do. I just feel that it's...Unneeded."

Asami knit her eyebrows, not out of hostility, but simply from a lack of understanding as Korra continued,

"Back in Republic City, it felt like my head was going to explode from everything that was running through. I know that's just part of being the Avatar, all of the meetings and paperwork, but..."

Korra rested her head on top of her arms.

"It probably would've driven me crazy if I had stayed in the city for another minute. But as soon as we stepped into the portal, together, it all...Went away. Sure, just being here has been a huge help, but being here with _you_ has helped even more."

There was a long stretch of silence between them, and when Korra looked over, Asami was glancing back. Korra sighed, before smashing the heel of her palm into her forehead as she looked away,

"Sorry," She apologized, "That was selfish of me, comparing my problems to yours. Like they're even close to being on the same-"

Korra was cut off abruptly as Asami crashed into her, almost causing the both of them to topple over the side of the tree. Asami's arms were wrapped around Korra, so tight that it almost felt like she wasn't going to let go. But eventually, she did, swiping at her eyes hastily,

"Thank you," She muttered.

Korra blinked a few times, "For what?"

"For saying what you did, or, well, what you didn't say. I-I miss my father so much, but I'm just not ready to talk about what happened. But all of the pity, all of the _apologies_-Just pull me back to square one. Never once have you brought up my father, tried to apologize for his...Death. And that's what I want, what I _need_, in order to move on."

Asami inched towards Korra again until they were face-to-face,

"And you're _not_ selfish, Korra. In fact, you're easily one of the most selfless people I know. Just remember that if you ever need me, I'll be there for you."

"And if you ever need me, _I'll_ be there for you. If the time ever comes when you're ready to talk about your dad, I'll be the first person you can come and talk to."

Asami leaned closer, closing her eyes as she did. Korra did the same, shutting her eyes as she waited in overwhelming anticipation. She unintentionally drew in a breath as she felt Asami's lips brush against hers. At this, they broke apart somewhat, but Korra stopped her from moving away completely by bringing her closer with a gentle, reassuring hand placed on the back of Asami's neck.

While the kiss only lasted a few seconds before they did break away, it felt like it had lasted an hour to the two of them. When they did break away, however, they kept close to each other, foreheads rested together as Korra caressed the back of Asami's neck with the occasional swipe of her thumb.

"Well," Asami said quietly, her tone slightly amused, "I think I've decided what my favorite part about the Spirit World is."

Korra snorted with laughter, "So have I."

They broke away slowly, almost painfully, as they didn't want to lose the close contact they had been sharing in just a moment beforehand.

"I guess we should get some sleep," Korra suggested.

Asami nodded in agreement, "Good plan. I think I'll finally be able to now."

Korra laid down, lowering herself onto her right side as Asami rearranged her backpack as a makeshift pillow. She too turned on her side, facing Korra.

"Goodnight, Korra."

Korra smiled tiredly, "Goodnight, Asami."

That night, the two of them slept better than they had in a long, long time.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! It would be greatly appreciated if you let me know whether or not you liked the story, or if you have any input! If you guys do enjoy it, I'd be happy to write another short or, once I get more time on my hands, I might be willing to take on a longer story involving Korra and Asami.**

**Happy New Year!**  
><strong>Leaded-Pegasus<strong>


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